Choose Black Mesa
Choose Black Mesa if you want the Multi-player, Includes Source SDK, and Online PvP side of the pairing. 69,272 Steam reviews back the pick.
Black Mesa vs DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe
Black Mesa and DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe both land in Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam. DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe (2018) is 2 years older than Black Mesa (2020). Black Mesa is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe has no Deck rating yet. No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe
Choose DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe if it's a focused single-player run rather than a multiplayer commitment. DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe launched in 2018.
Both Black Mesa and DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe sit in Action, Indie, and Adventure on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Black Mesa |  DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Indie, Adventure | Action, Indie, Adventure |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 19.99 USD | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 94.9% positive (69,272 reviews) | 1 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Single-player only |
| Developers | Crowbar Collective | Gestmorph Games |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam.
- DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe (2018) is 2 years older than Black Mesa (2020).
- Black Mesa is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe has no Deck rating yet.
Black Mesa vs DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe — FAQ
- Should I play Black Mesa or DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe first?
- If you want chronology, DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe (2018) came out before Black Mesa (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Black Mesa and DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe similar?
- They overlap on Action, Indie, Adventure on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe have multiplayer like Black Mesa?
- No. Black Mesa supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer), while DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe is listed as single-player only.
- Does Black Mesa run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Black Mesa is rated Deck Playable by Valve. DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.